Hair curler



June 14, 1949. A. E. VAUGHN 2,473,115

HAIR cURpER Filed Nov. 19, 1945 f/v VENTOR BY ,AL BERT E. VAUGHN HARRIS, K/EcH, FosTER HA rare/5 i FOR HE FIRM A 7TORNEY5 Patented June 14;, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to hair curling devices and particularly to that type of hair curler which comprises a tube around which looks of hair are wound to form curls, and means for maintaining the curls in place to prevent unwinding thereof.

Various types of devices have been provided for temporarily curling or waving hair without the application of heat or the use of wave setting preparations. The most common type of curler commonly referred to as a Hollywood curler, consists of a cylindrical metal tube or barrel and a metal clamp pivoted to one end of the tube, the end of the lock of hair being inserted between the tube and clamp and then wound tightly around these two parts. A substantially U-shaped clip pivoted to the same end of the tube as the clamp is adapted to fold down over the wound lock of hair, being provided with a resilient disc roller rotatably mounted on the outer looped end of the clip and adapted to be received within the end of the tube to yieldingly lock the parts in closed position. Curlers of this type are usually constructed from metal and the U-shaped clip has inturned ends which pass through aligned holes in the tube and clamp with their terminal portions swaged within the tube to assemble the four parts in hinged relationship.

It is a known fact that when such relatively rigid metallic hair curlers are used, the sharp edges of the clamp often break or cut the ends of the hair and when they are worn in the hair during repose the pressure of the curlers against the head is uncomfortable and tends to disturb the sleep of the wearer. Moreover, such conventional hair curlers are composed of several parts which must be carefully assembled and it is the usual practice to employ special tools for flattening the inner ends of the clip within the tube to secure the parts together and this adds to the over-all cost of manufacture. Furthermore, it has been determined that when such curlers are used the parts often become bent or broken and the clip frequently loses its resiliency, thereby rendering the curler unfit for use.

It is one object of my invention to provide a hair curler of simplified construction which comprises only two parts, namely: a combined tube and clamp member, and a clip member pivoted thereto, the clip member being formed with lugs or pintles adapted to snap into apertures in the sides of the tube to pivotally secure the two parts together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair curling device in which the unitary tube and clamp is constructed from flexible or resilient ing sleep.

Another object is to provide a hair curler in which the tube and clamp are adapted to be moulded in one piece, thus eliminating the usual stamping and bending operations and avoiding the use of special tools and the exercise of special skill in assembling the parts.

Another object is to provide a hair curler in which the clip may be moulded from plastic or other non-metallic material and provided with integral pintles adapted to be snapped into apertures in the tube to pivotally connect the parts together.

Another object is to provide a hair curler in which the clip has a detent lug adjacent its looped end, said lug being adapted to engage in a recess in the end of the tube to releasably retain the parts in closed position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification and the drawing which is for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hair curler constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on a medial plane and illustrating the manner in which the parts are relatively flexed to permit opening thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a part-sectional end elevational view, illustrating the pivotal mounting of the parts.

The present invention comprises, in general, a perforated tube moulded from flexible material and formed with an integral longitudinally extending clamping portion. The tube is closed at one end and this end provided with a recess while its opposite end has aligned apertures for receiving pintles projecting inwardly from the ends of a U-shaped clip to connect the tube and clip for relative pivotal movement. The clip is preferably moulded from plastic material and provided with a detent lug adapted to enter the recess in the end of the tube to releasably retain the parts of the hair curler in closed relationship.

Referring to the drawing, the body portion of my improved hair curler comprises a tube 5 which is closed at one end to provide an end wall 6 having a conical recess 7. The sides of the tube 5 are perforated as shown at 8 and adjacent its open end the tube is provided with diametrically opposed apertures ID. The tube 5 is moulded from suitable resilient material, such as rubber, and extending longitudinally and am gularly from its open end is an integral strip II which constitutes a clamping portion. As shown in Fig, 4, the clamping portion II is preferably formed slightly arcuate in cross section thus adapting it to efiectively grip the hair against the tube 5 when applied to use.

Pivotally connected to the tube 5 is a substantially U-shaped clip l3 having opposite parallel sides It connected at one end by a cross-strip or looped end portion l5. The clip [3 is widened throughout the greater part of its length, thus providing opposite openings l6 between the clip and tube for overlying the curls or ringlets of hair wound around the tube. Adjacent the open end of the clip [3 its sides M are provided with inwardly projecting integrally moulded pintles 11 having flanges l8 at their ends. The pintles I! are adapted to be inserted through th apertures It in the flexible tube 5 with the sides of the apertures yielding to permit this insertion, this type of connection being similar to that used in ordinary snap-fasteners. Through the last described connection, the clip I3 is pivotally mounted on the tube 5 to adapt it to tilt upward or downward during the winding of the hair around the tube. After the curl has been formed on the tube 5 the clip is pivoted to closed position to retain the hair in place. A conical retaining lug 29 is provided on the inner surface of the connecting strip l5 and adapted to enter the conical recess 1 in the end of the tube 5 to retain the parts in closed relationship.

The improved hair curling device is applied to use in the manner as next explained. To form a curl on the head the clip 13 is first preferably pivoted 180 from the position shown in Fig. l. and a lock of hair is segregated from the remainder oi the hair and its end inserted between the tube 5 and clamping portion ll. During this operation the clamping portion ll may be flexed upwardly from the tube to permit such insertion. After the end oi the lock of hair has been joined to the device in this manner, the tube 5, together with its clamping portion H, is rotated to cause the lock oi hair to be wound therearound, it being noted that succeed ing coils of hair will overlie the clamping portion to cause the end of the lock of hair to be firmly gripped between the tube and clamping portion.

The winding of the hair is continued until the desired number of coils have been coiled on the tube 5, after which the clip i3 is pivoted on its pintles I! through 180. Near the end of this pivotal movement the retaining lug of the clip [3 will engage the edge of the tube 5 and as pivotal movement is continued the 1115 will ride across the edge of the tube and snap into the conical recess l as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. During the closing of the device, the tube 5 may be flexed, as shown in Fig. 3, to permit the retaining lug 29 to enter the recess '1 and after the lug has been engaged therein the inherent resiliency of the tube will cause the latter to assume a substantially straight cylindrical shape as shown in Fig. 2, whereby to maintain the 111g 20 of the clip 13 engaged in its recess and yield ingly retain the parts in closed relationship,

With the parts of the device in closed position, the sides M of the clip l3 will overlie the curl formed on the tube 5 and thus prevent the curl from unwinding. Because the tube 5 and clamping portion I! are constructed from resilient material they are adapted to flex to coniorm to the curvature of the head of the wearer '4 and thus the device may be worn with greater comfort than previous devices of similar types constructed from metal or other non-flexible materials. It is a usual practice to dampen the hair prior to winding it onto the curling device to cause the curl or wave to set and for the purpose of permitting evaporation or drying of the water or special wave preparations, the perforations 8 are provided.

When it is desired to remove the curler from the lock of hair, the curler is held in the fingers and bent slightly to cause the tube 5 and clamping portion II to flex as shown in Fig. 3. Such flexing of the tube 5 will disengage the retaining lug 20- from the recess 1 to permit the clip l3 to be swung on its pivots I! through Pivoting of the clip I3 to this position releases its arms l4 from the sides of the curl so that the device may be rotated to unwind the hair. The device is removed from the hair by merely sliding the end of the look from beneath the clamping portion H.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the present invention provides an extremely simple, yet ingenious device for curling hair and one which is highly efiicient in performing its intended function. As an important feature of improvement, the combined tube and clamp is constructed from resilient material whereby to permit it to flex to conform to the contour of the head on which the device is worn and provide greater comfort when the device is worn during repose.

By moulding the tube and clamp as a unitary structure it is unnecessary to provide separate pivot means therebetween and the construction and assembly of the device is therefore greatly simplified and rendered more durable in use.

Moreover, in the present curling device, the resiliency of the tube is utilized as the means for maintaining the clip in closedposition and it is therefore unnecessary that the clip be made resilient. By thus avoiding the use of a relatively thin resilient clip subject to continuous bending or flexing,- the danger of breaking the clip is eliminated. Since the clip of the present device is comparatively rigid and of greater thickness than clips heretofore employed it will resist pulling and stretching and thus remain operative over a longer period of time.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a novel and ingenious means for pivotally connecting the clip and tube without the use of separate pins or the like and without the necessity of bending or flattening the ends of the clip to hold the parts in assembled relationship. Thus, it will be seen that the parts of the present improved curling device may not only be made economically but may be quickly assembled without the use of tools or the exercise of special skill.

While the improved hair curler has been herein shown and described as embodied in a preferred form of construction by way of example, I do not intend to be limited to the specific disclosure contained herein since various changes, modifications, and substitutions may be incorporated in the exemplary embodiment disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I hereby reserve the right to all such changes, modifications, and substitutions as properly come within the scope of my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hair curler, comprising: a flexible resilient tube; flexible resilient clamping means of substantially the same width as the width of said tube and integrally joined to said tube adjacent one end thereof, said clamping means extending longitudinally of and adjacent the outer surface of said tube and being transversely curved; a U-shaped clip pivotally connected at its ends to one end of said tube and adapted to be pivoted to a position longitudinally of said tube in which its bight portion extends across the opposite end of said tube, said bight portion having an integral conical retaining lug; and retaining means on the said opposite end of said tube in position to engage said lug to resiliently hold said clip in said position.

2. A hair curler, comprising: a flexible resilient tube; flexible resilient clamping means of substantial width integrally joined to said tube adjacent one end thereof, said clamping means extending longitudinally of and adjacent the outer surface of said tube and being transversely curved; a U-shaped clip having inturned headed end portions extending through diametrically opposed openings in one end of said tube and adapted to be pivoted thereon to a position longitudinally of said tube in which its bight portion extends across the opposite end of said tube; and retaining means on the said opposite end of said tube in position to engage said clip to resiliently hold it in said position.

3. A hair curler, comprising: a flexible resilent tube; flexible resilient clamping means of substantial width integrally joined to said tube adjacent one end thereof, said clamping means extending longitudinally of and adjacent the outer surface of said tube and being transversely curved; a molded U-shaped clip having inturned end portions extending through diametrically opposed openings in one end of said tube to adapt said clip to be pivoted on said tube to a position longitudinally thereof in which its bight portion extends across the opposite end of said tube, said inturned end portions having heads at their extremities molded integrally therewith and disposed within said tube to retain said clip in place on said tube; and retaining means on the opposite end of said tube in position to engage said clip to resiliently hold it in said position.

4. A hair curler, comprising: a flexible resilient tube; flexible resilient clamping means of substantial width integrally joined to said tube adjacent one end thereof, said clamping means extending longitudinally of and adjacent the outer surface of said tube and being transversely curved; a molded U-shaped clip having inturned end portions extending through diametrically opposed openings in one end of said tube to adapt said clip to be pivoted on said tube to a position longitudinally thereof in which its bight portion extends across the opposite end of said tube, said inturned end portions having means molded integrally therewith and disposed Within said tube to retain said clip in place on said tube; and retaining means on the opposite end of said tube in position to engage said clip to resiliently hold it in said position.

ALBERT E, VAUGHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,145,278 Solomon Jan. 31, 1939 2,145,693 Klein Jan. 31, 1939' 2,243,173 Smalley May 27, 1941 2,281,291 Holden Apr. 28, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 761,557 France Mar. 22, 1934 825,413 France Dec. 8, 1937 

